Picking, Deborah
Environmental Science Program Manager & Chief Undergraduate Advisor;
Senior Lecturer II
Tel: +1 (413) 545-5226
Room: 310 Holdsworth Hall
E-mail: dpickingdpicking(at)eco.umass.edu
Primary interests
My disciplinary focus is in wetland science. I am a Certified Professional Soil Scientist with research interests in vernal pool hydropedology, hydric soil characterization, and plant-soil interactions in wetland environments.
Current Projects
- Vernal Pool Hydropedology Study –assessing soil morphology, carbon storage, and denitrification potential in multiple vernal pools across southern New England
- Plant-Soil Interactions in Calcareous Wetlands — describing the hydrogeochemical cycles of calcareous sloping wetland systems in Berkshire County, MA, and correlating environmental variables with plant species distribution patterns across these systems.
Courses Taught
ENVIRSCI 390A /590A – Environmental Soil Science (Fall)
ENVIRSCI 191A & 194A – Intro Environmental Science Seminars I & II (Fall & Spring)
ENVIRSCI 294A – Career & Curriculum Planning Seminar (Spring)
Coming Spring 2013 — Wetland Soils
Selected Recent Publications
Book chapters:
Picking, D. J., “Soil Science & Management.” Massachusetts Arborist Association 2011; Massachusetts Certified Arborist Study Guide Version 2.0. CD/Electronic format. Pp. 43
Picking, D. J., Massachusetts Landscape Professionals’ Certification Study Guide, Version 5.0. Chapter 2: “Soil Biology and Composting Basics.” Associated Landscape Contractors of Massachusetts, 2008.
Refereed Journal Articles
Picking, D And P.L.M. Veneman, 2004. Vegetation Patterns in a Calcareous Sloping Fen of Southwestern Massachusetts, USA. Wetlands, 24 (3): 514-528.
Non-refereed Articles:
Tiner, R.W., P.L.M. Veneman, L.A. Spokas, and D.J. Picking. 2011. Wetlands of the Eastern and Southern Shores of Lake Ontario: Project Completion Report. Department of Plant, Soil, and Insect Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA. Prepared for the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, MS. 36 pp. plus appendices
Last updated March 21, 2013 by Roxann Cormier
